


Names

by Coleoptile



Category: Rockman | Mega Man - All Media Types, The Protomen
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-21
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-07-25 20:07:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7546121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coleoptile/pseuds/Coleoptile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mega repairs Proto and they get to know each other while leaving This City.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Names

The first thing Protoman noticed when he came to was the mould. Of course, the spores couldn’t harm a machine such as himself, but the stench hung thick in the air, so different from the smells of oil and carbon that had clung to him in Wily’s fortress. From this, his processors quickly deduced that he was somewhere far away from the city he had known all his life.   
The place was cold, the air damp, and a constant tapping on the roof and shaking of the windows told him that this ruin of a building was all that protected him from a heavy storm.   
He tried to sit up, but his joints hissed, and he let out a scream that was cut short by his body slamming back against the concrete floor.

“Ah! Protoman!” The young voice was coupled with loud, metallic footsteps rushing towards him, and dropping to his side on the floor. “Protoman, are you awake?” So much hope in his voice.

“A- Me- g-“, His words broke into static. Without a doubt, his younger brother had taken him to some damp ruin, but he was too heavily damaged from their fight to even speak. The latex of his face curled up into what hopefully looked like a smile.  Megaman instantly made a strangled squeaking noise, throwing himself upon Protoman, curling his arms round his still body, the sudden impact sending sparks of pain throughout his arms and chest, but Protoman simply grit his teeth and hoped his brother wouldn’t let go too soon.

“I’m sorry, I- they-“, his grip grew tighter as he paused, “You were so damaged… I hope these repairs are okay.”

Protoman’s joints calmed down into their new position, and he leaned his head into Megaman’s shoulder, as the rain drummed on outside. “Ye-…Gr-“, with any luck, his brother could interoperate the noises he was making as “yeah, they’re great”.   
Moments passed as neither could say a word- be that from mechanical failures or the weight of their situation. Despite the silence, Protoman wanted to hold on to this moment for as long as he could. The people no doubt wanted their heads, the storm worried the boarded up windows, and his body was in such ruins that he could neither move nor speak coherently, and yet, Protoman felt so safe. Had he ever felt safe? He would have normally waved such a thing off as a diagnostic error, but in Megaman’s arms he felt that nothing could hurt him. There was no visible reason or motive behind rescuing the damaged machine beyond sheer sentimentality.

“Oh! Uh…” Megaman gently placed his brother back on the floor before jumping up slightly and gesturing to the building around them, “I found this place on the outskirts of the city. I think it used to be for repairing automobiles!” Well, that explains that. “It has various tools and things, but some of them are a bit worn.” He was clearly grasping for things to say at this point. “I can imagine people like us having worked here once… It’s like machines just haven’t evolved in decades.” He trailed off after that, clearly lost in thought, perhaps enjoying a freedom of thought he never had with Light.

Protoman had another go at propping himself up. He groaned loudly as he pushed his back up the wall behind him, earning a worried Megaman rushing to his aid. However, this time, his movement was far more successful, and he raised a hand, gesturing for his brother to stop. It was painful and energy-consuming, the younger brother watching him intently the whole time, but there was accomplishment in doing something for himself. Once Protoman was definitely upright, Megaman slumped against the wall beside him.

“So…” He trailed off again. Damn, this kid was good at trailing off. “I realise all I know about you was stories. You’re my brother, but you still feel like… like a superhero or a dream to me.” He was smiling awkwardly and trying to look in any other direction. “What’s your name name? Like, civilian name?”  
Protoman’s head cocked to the side and he made a noise that probably sounded like a question mark.   
“I mean. Um. When I was fighting- fighting Wily- I was ‘Megaman’, but our father just calls me ‘Rock’… oh! That’s my name!”

Suddenly the room felt so much colder.

Protoman turned his head away from the other machine. ‘Rock’. So Light had given him a human name in addition to having treated him like a human son. He knew that it wasn’t the kid’s fault. He had been sheltered from the horrors of the city as well as that of Light’s treatment of his own creations.   
Rock looked on in anticipation, his face making to attempt at hiding his various stages of worry. Just as he opened his mouth to prompt a response, Protoman cut him off. “Nn- O.”   
The smaller machine sunk down the wall a bit.

“I’m sorry.”   
Protoman closed his eyes and tried to let the noise of the rain calm him down.   
“…I won’t call him that again.”   
A brand-new leak seemed to have sprung from the ceiling while Rock had been talking.   
“Rock is… it’s a kind of music I like a lot.”   
Small puddles were forming around the oil cans and various tools scattered on the floor.  
“If there’s music you like, then… then… Protoman, you’re free, you’re-“  
“Bll- Oo-“  
“Pardon?”  
“Bl- ues.”  
“Blues?”  
“Mm-.“

‘Blues’ shifted again, falling against Rock, who instinctively went back to holding the larger machine in his arms.   
“It’s nice to meet you, Blues.”


End file.
